Textile spindle



'Mardi 29, 1955 J. H. GRAY ErAL TEXTILE SPINDLE Filed March 29, 1952 INVENTOR. HARRY @AMYA BY 4A/s woe/w55@ ArraRA/fy movement in response tohigh frequency vibration. The vibration damping effect attained by the step bearing rcduces or damps the vibration present in the spindle as it passes through its critical speed of vibration to make it possible for the spindle to pass through said critical speed without assistance from the operator.

Referring now to the drawing wherein there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprising a spindle step lil formed from a hollow upper port-ion 12 and a hollow lower portion 14. The outer diameter of the lower end of portion 12 is reduced to form an annular shoulder 16 and to permit said lower end to be pressed into the upper end of lower portion 14. Before upper and lower portion 12 and 14 are assembled as above described an annular spindle mounting flange 18 is placed on the lower end of upper portion 12 and against shoulder 16. Mounting flange 18 is held in position on step by reason of being clamped between shoulder 16 and the upper end of lower portion 15. Preferably. a ring of brazing metal is interposed between mounting flange 18 and the upper end of lower portion 14 when step 10 is assembled and the unit is then furnace brazed to form a unitary element. A whorl lock clip 19 is slidably carried by ange 18 in groove 21 formed in its periphery and is adapted to selectively prevent or permit removal of the spindle blade from step 10.

Spindle step 10 is adapted to be resiliently mounted in an opening provided in a spindle swing 20, which may be of any convenient design, by means of spindle step ange 18 and felt washer 22 engaging the upper surface of said spindle swing 20, and spindle mounting spring 24 interposed between the lower surface of spindle swing 20 and mounting nut 26, threaded on lower portion 14 of spindle step 10 all in the manner conventional in the art.

A spindle blade 28, adapted to carry and rotate a package of yarn comprising a bobbin 30 having a supply of yarn Y wound thereon, is rotatably mounted in spindle step 10 by means of upper bear-ing 32 and step bearing 34. Spindle blade 28 is comprised of an upper substantially rigid portion 36 of suicient length to pass through the axial opening in bobbin 3) and tapered and appropriate amount to cause said bobbin to firmly seat thereon.

A hollow spindle whorl 38, adapted to engage a driving belt, not shown, to rotate spindle blade 28 in a conventional manner, is rigidly attached to said spindle blade at the lower end of tapered portion 36. The diameter of the bore of whorl 38 is larger than the outside diameter of uppcr step portion 12 to permit said whorl to telescope over said upper portion when blade 28 is assembled in step 10, and to permit said whorl to cock with said blade without interfering with said step. The lower edge of whorl 38 is provided with a hollow ange 40 which is adapted to be engaged by whorl lock clip 19 to prevent blade 28 from being withdrawn from step 10. A plurality of shiftable counterbalancing washers 42 are carried in the interior of hollow flange 40. Washers 42 are retained in hollow ange 40 by means of a ring closure 44 frictionally retained in the lower edge of whorl 38. Washers 42 are freely movable in flange 40 and are shiftable therein in response to forces set up after blade 28, whorl 38 and bobbin 30 pass through their primary critical speed to counterbalance dynamic out-of-balance present in this rotating system. Washers 42 are preferably formed from a heavy wear resistant material such as iron or steel to obtain as much mass as possible for counterbalancing purposes and surfaces which will not wear excessively. The dimensions of washers 42 are preferably selected to give the maximum counterbalancing effect from the available mass and space. It will be appreciated that a washer that would have the maximum possible movement in hollow flange 40 would necessarily be relatively light due to the need for a large bore to clear spindle step 10 and a small outer diameter to permit maximum movement. Washers of this type would not have the maximum counterbalancing effect due to their light weight. Also the converse is true, the heaviest possible washer will not give maximum counterbalancing inasmuch as the large outside diameter will permit only limited movement. It has been found` for example, that with a ange 40 having an internal diameter of substantially one and one half inches, washers having an outside diameter of substantially one and three eighths inches, and a bore just large enough to clear step 1l) when the washers are against the wall of ange 40 and whorl 38 is tipped will give the maximum counterbalancing effect.

A crowned bearing surface 46 is formed on blade 28 adjacent upper portion 36 and a cylindrical bearing surface 48 of' smaller diameter than bearing surface 46 is provided adjacent the lower end of balde 28. Bearing surface 46 is crowned to permit it to cock in upper bearing 32 without jamming as step bearing 34 moves in step 10 and as the flexible portion of blade 28 bends. The amount of crown given bearing surface 46 preferably Iis not great. For example, it has been found that a crown having a radius of substantially five inches produces satisfactory results. The lower end of blade 28 is ground at in a plane substantially at degrees to the axis of said blade to provide a thrust bearing surface adapted to cooperate with a thrust bearing to be described more in detail hereinafter. The lower end of blade 28, between bearing surface 48 and the flat lower end thereof is preferably tapered as at 50 at approximately a 45 degree angle to facilitate inserting bearing surface 48 into step bearing 34- and to reduce the area of said flat thrust surface.

The diameter of blade 28 is preferably considerably reduced immediately below bearing surface 46 by means of a smoothly curved shoulder 47 so that the length 52 of blade 28 which is located between bearing surface 48 and shoulder 47 is relatively flexible.

The bore of upper portionv 12 of'spindlc step 10 4is enlarged at the top thereof to provide a bearing receiving recess 54 above annular internal shoulder 56. A selflubricating anti-friction bearing 5S is located -in bearing recess 54 to cooperate with crowned bearing surface` 46. Anti-friction bearing 5S is preferably a roller bearing comprising a plurality of relatively short rollers 60 to permit crowned bearing surface 46 to cock as the relatively flexible length 52 of blade 28 exes under the influence of an out-of-balance package of yarn without causing the bearing to jam or lock. Rollers 60 are supported verticaly by washer 62 which rests on shoulder 56. An outer bearing-race 64 is supported against lateral movement by the wall of bearing recess 54 and vertically by washer 62. Rollers 60 are spaced circumferentially around race 64, and prevented from falling out of position when blade 28 is removed from step 10 by a cage or roller retainer (not shown) of any convenient design, Rollers 60 and race 64 arc held in bearing recess 54 by bearing retaining and lubricating ring 66, preferably formed of an oil impregnated sintered bronzematerial, but which can be formed from any other convenient porous material which possesses a suicient degree of hardness and which is non-abrasive, locked in-bearing recess 54 by washer 68 which engages the top of saidring 66. The upper edge of upper step portion 12 is rolled inwardly over the outer edge of washer 68 to lock it and the entire upper bearing assembly 32 in step 10. The bore of bearing retaining and lubricating ring 66 ares outwardly at its lower end to a diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of bearing race 64 so that it extends over and is adapted to contact the small area of the end of each roller 60 to prevent their vertical displacement and transmit thereto-a small quantity of oil. The upper end of bearing retaining and lubricating ring 66 is provided with a rabbct 70 which cooperates with the inner wall of bearing receiving recess 54 to form a groove which is packed with an oil impregnated felt ring 72. Washer 68 is provided with an oil hole 74 located above felt ring 72 through which oil can be applied to said felt ring to replenish the oil carried thereby as it is used in the normal operation of the spindle.

Step bearing 34 comprises a plug member 76 which closes the lower end of lower portion 14 of spindle step 10 and is held in place therein by any convenient means. The upper surface of plug 76 is provided with a transverse slot 78 which receives agtongue member 80 formed on the bottom of a cup-shapedjournal holding member 82. A bushing 84, preferably formed of an oil impregnated sintered bronze material but which can be formed of any other convenient bearing material, is lo, cated in and tightly held by cup-shaped member 82. Bushing 84 is adapted to cooperate Vwith bearing surface 48 on spindle blade 28 to journalfthe lower end ofV said blade. The upper end of bushing 84 is providedl with a ange 86 having a diameter slightly smaller than the bore of lower step portion 14. The diameter of cupshaped journal holding member 82 is also smaller than the bore of lower step portion 14 and is substantially equal in diameter to ange 86. Tongue member 80 is narrower than transverse slot 78 by an amount substantially equal erg-,anulare te the difference betweenthe` diameter od ctrpshaped member 82 andthe- Bore of lower stepI` portion f4.; It will; therefore, ne seen that stepi bearing assemiily 3-4= is free oscillare in spindle:- stepi I" whileit is Field against rotazioni The space Between step Bearing: assembly' 34 and the wall of lower step' portion 14i is= filled with o'il toL damp2 the oscilla-tion ofs'ai'd" step bearing.; ssembly uncler the innuence ot arrout-ofbalafnce bobbin.- Preferably tlie space'I between: step# bearing assembly 321ri and spindle step I0 is relatively small, intheL order' of! from .065 inch toY .01l5l irren, and' the oil contatfe'dJ in sain space isof such` ax viscosity' that' sai'di step bearing' asseml' bly' 3,21v is held" against substantially any movement when' it:y isA subjected` to vibrations ranging from 31,600 cycles per minute upwardly, and darips thev movement" of saidstep' bearing assemblyunder the' influence-of vibrations below 31060'V cycles per minute.

Tlie lower' end" off' busIiing'M is enlarged to formi an axial. pocket 88. thrust` bri-lly 901`is= loosely contained in* axial pocket 88 and rest'sfon a hardened' plate 92 in# terposed between the lower end ot' bushing" 84' and the' bottom oft' cupeshaped mem-ber 82. lit will thus be' seen that the'l spindle bl'ade' Zf is; rotatably' mounted in spindle step by means of upper bearing' SZf-anclj lower beat ingI 34 and that thrust ball' 90" provides a" tlir'ust" bearing for theend of blade 22? to' support' the weight' of said blade and the weight of the package-lof- 'yarlr carriedv thereby; The fact that thrust ballL 9o is loosely com tained'in axial pocket' SSpermits to r'ollv around ai cifcular part' bounded? by the wall offsaid pocket to cause' said' b'all to be inrolling Contact with the fla-t thrust surface' ron blade 2S thus' providing" auf ant'ilfri'etionthrust; bearing for said blade.

Whenl a: dynamicalllyout-o'f-'oalancel object is rotated at nigh-v speedv therein a strong tendency in ill-at' object to rotate armut-its free axis; when sue'hmonter-Balance obeet is' prevented' from rotating" about ift'sf free as by' atv ri'glidf shaft' o'r by' a rigid spindle when" thel outlof palancay object is a tex-tile package, its attempts toro`J tate" aboutits' free axis sets up' vibration in the shaft or spindle, the intensity of whichiis' a function off the'4 degree of` outeof-balance; When' anout-of-balancey textile pack;- age is rotated by the'- spindle of the present' inventiont the shiftable counterba-lanc'ing,washers 42'l move in hollow flange' 4i) of spindle whorl; Sllrt'oA counterbal'ance wholly or in part the out-of-balance of the bobbinin a manner to be described. more fully hereinafter. In the event counterb'alancing' washers 42 are not' capable of completely counterlmlancin'gr the out-of-balance` present in the bobbin the remaining or resultant amount of out-of-balance' causes the package toattempt" to' rotate about its fre'eaxis and* causes the liexible portion 52 ofi blade'Z, located between its bearingv surfaces' 46 and 48'; to bow or hex. This bowing or flexingo'f blade portion 5213ermits blade 28 to'fulcrum around upper bearing 32, as f illustrated diagrammatically in vFig. 2, to displace its upper rigid portion 36` laterally fromV the axis of bearings 32 and 34 to allow the textile package to rotate around its free axis or a close approximation thereof, thus eliminating, or reducing to acceptable limits, the vibration due to dynamic out-of-balance. Flexible portion S2 of blade 28 should be flexible enough to permit the out-of-balance package of yarn carried by the spindle to bow or ex a sufcient amount to permit said package to rotate around its free axis or an approximation thereof. At the same time the flexible portion 52 should be suciently rigid to resist whip in the spindle, as it passes through critical speeds in starting and stopping.

The lower portion of blade 2S, i. e. that portion of the blade extending from the midpoint of that portion of crowned bearing surface 46 adapted to be located between rollers 60 to the midpoint of lower bearing surface 48, forms a cantilever beam spring which fulcrums around anti-friction bearing 53. Preferably the lower portion of blade 28 has a spring constant" ranging from 100 to 175 pounds per inch of deflection. The term spring constant as used in the present specification and claims is delined as the result obtained by dividing a load applied to the free end of a cantilever beam spring by the distance said load dellects said cantilever beam spring, and be expressed by the formula:

Load Deflection Spring constant= 6 emlionynignnefpresentinv nonislmeasuredf tlie blade rigidly at* midpoint or po ion of lwldlarn'g S'Llffac 46I dapfedlfblb'eloctied between rollers; 60.' and`v applying' a load.Y afttlfie midpoint; of lower bearingfsurfaee 48.' A. spindleI bladeliayinga: lower pop tion' having a spring constant includedfin the range of from 100 to'L 1575 pounds per incho'f deflectiony determined inA the above described-l xnanner isstuiciently Y rigid for reslstthe abovefde'seribedfv ip;-wherr the spindle is'rotating typical@spindle-b'obbinsin nimerciali-use tod-ay at' 16,009' R; P.' and is-e'xible enough to' permit any commerciali ly produced' yarn-package` r'iorrnall'y` employed? on@ twisting mach-mosto rot-'ate about its freer ax'is,f-or` a close-approximation thereof'. However, a spindle bladehavinglalbvvr portion= whereinv the springc'onsta-'nt when measured as aboveid'escribedg. is-'aslow as? SOlpoun'dsper in'c` of de fl'ctonf will function satisfactorily with many bobbins, andal spindle blade having a' flexible-portion whereinrthe sprng'co'ristant-is as' high as 3U0po'undsper inch of de'K flectio'n gives appreciable' reduction in vibrationl as compared with all` priori art spindle blades, and3 alsp'ring' constant higher than 175 pounds per inch deflection but not exceeding 3G() pounds per' inch of'de'flectio'n' is of' advantagel in some'l applications.

Th'eiflxibl'el length of bladel SZinaddition to permitting anV onset-betlancel bobbin to' rotate about its free axis,- or an'- approximationthereof', a-lso lowerst'h'ecritical speedy ofthe r'otating system, when? iti is carrying a -loafd su'clik as abobbin of yarn or'anempty# bobbin, consider# ably below that of a conventional'y rigid' spindle".l This critica-l speed?,1 therefore, is well? below thel normal operating speed" o'f the spindley and accordingly littlepowet isrequired to-b'ring tlie'spi'ndle past it.V

in addition' to thev 'eXiBle1p`or-t-'iont52 maltingi-teasier ns critical speed! b-'y low'-l eringf that critical speed the vibration damping. actiou of step bearing. assembly 34 also" assists the spindle to" pass"-tlirou'ghy its-fcritical-speedl Asabove' explained, step bearing assembly 341- i'sso proportioned that-it dampetis out'L relatively low' frequency vibrations. inasmuch asz flexible: portion; s2 lowers the' critical speed? ot the rotati-ugfs'ysfeniv tol writ-hin, the range-of vibrations dan-ip'ed by' said" step Bearing assetnly'it" assists the' spindle fol pass throughitsy critical speed by' subduing' the attendant vibratious.

In addition to the vibrations set up byf'un'oa'lance in thej package of? yarnz being rotated, spindles a'r-e'-l subjected to: many omet-'vibrations afndstioe'ksi- The great majority: of these other'fvibrations-` are'4 "ff relatively lovvf frequency and are-caused' lzlysuchthin` for exampleyaslthefimpac't of thesp'indl driving Belt jo'iwith the? spindle' who'rrl',` outoffbalance components ini otherl parts ofi the'- machine, disturbancesr in adja'eentf'ma-chines, ete.A The vibration d'fairlpingstcp bearing assembly'- 34l functions tof dam "er out all of" these other vibrations# and' prevent" thorn from eji'tlier passing frorntlie'spi'ndle tothe-machine or passing: from'f the: maeiiie to the spindle;

The spindle' of the presen' nvention functions intnefollo'wi-ng mahner'whlenaro'tating an out-of-balanee' bobbin of yarn. As the spindle accelerates',4 the outlof-balricebobbin causes vibration to take place. Upon the spindle passing through its primary critical speed, which as stated above is comparatively low, the shiftable counterbalancing washers 42 move in hollow whorl flange 40 to a position wherein they tend to counterbalance the out-ofbalance present in the bobbin. It will, of course, be understood that in many instances the amount or degree of out-of-balance present in the bobbin may be so great that washers 42 cannot completely counteroalance it in which case they function to reduce the amount of out-ofbalance present in the rotating system. lf the mass of washers 42 is suficient to completely counterbalance the bobbin of yarn the spindle passes through its critical speed and rotates about its axis completely free of any vibration. If washers 42 do not have enough mass to counterbalance the bobbin of yarn after the spindle passes through its critical speed the resultant or remaining out-of-balance in the rotating system causes the flexible length 52 of blade 28 to liex or bend in the manner illustrated in Fig. 2 to permit said bobbin to rotate about its free axis or an approximation thereof in the above described manner. As the spindle passes through its critical speed an intense but relatively low frequency vibration is set up which tends to oscillate blade 28 and step bearing 34. This oscillation is permitted but is damped',- to assist the blade in passing through its critical speed, by means of the oil contained in the space between step bearing assembly 34 and the wall of spindle step 10. After the spindle has passed through its critical speed and has attained its normal high operating speed a certain amount of vibration will be present if the amount of outof-balance in the bobbin of yarn is so great that washers 42 cannot completely counterbalance it and flexible length 52, cannot ex suiiciently to permit it to rotate-about its free axis. When the spindle of the present invention is operating under the last described conditions step bearing 34 is held substantially motionless by the oil surrounding it inasmuch as the area of the space surrounding said step bearing is so small that there is not time for the damping oil to move from one side of step to the other under the influence of the high frequency vibrations.

Since certain changes may be made in the above apparatus without departing from the scope of the invention herein involved, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limited sense.

What is claimed is:

l. A textile spindle adapted to rotate a package of yarn at high speed comprising a spindle blade, a spindle step, a plurality of bearings in said step supporting said blade for rotation, a hollow whorl mounted on said blade, and a movable weight located in said whorl and adapted to shift to counterbalance an out-of-baalnce package of yarn rotated by said blade.

2. A textile spindle adapted to rotate a package of yarn at high speed comprising a spindle blade, a spindle step, a plurality of bearings in said step supporting said blade for rotation, a hollow whorl mounted on said blade, and a plurality of movable washers located in said whorl and adapted to shift to counterbalance an out-of-balance package of yarn rotated by said blade.

3. A textile spindle adapted to rotate a package of yarn at high speed comprising a spindle blade, a spindle step, a plurality of bearings in said step supporting said blade for rotation, a whorl mounted on said blade, a hollow flange on said whorl, and a plurality of movable washers located in said hollow ange and adapted to shift to counterbalance an out-of-balance package of yarn rotated by said spindle.

4. A textile spindle adapted to rotate a package of yarn at high speed comprising a spindle blade, a whorl mounted on said blade, a spindle step, spaced bearings in said step supporting said blade for rotation, and a movable weight carried by said whorl, said blade, whorl,

movable weight and a package of yarn carried by said blade comprising a rotating system, the portion of said blade located between said bearings being exible to reduce the critical speed of said rotating system, said movable weight being adapted to shift after said rotating system passes through its critical speed to counterbalance any out-of-balance present in the package of yarn rotated by said blade, said flexible portion also being adapted to lex under the influence of any unbalance not full counterbalance by said weight.

5. A Itextile spindle adapted to rotate a package of yarn at high speed comprising a spindle blade, a spindle step, spaced bearings in said step supporting said blade for rotation, a hollow whorl mounted on said blade, and a movable weight located in said whorl, said blade, whorl, movable weight and a package of yarn carried by said blade comprising a rotating system, the portion of said blade located between said bearings being flexible to reduce the critical speed of said rotating system, said movable weight being adapted to shift after said rotating system passes through its critical speed to counterbalance any out-of-balance present in the package of yarn rotated by said blade, said exible portion also being adapted to ex under the influence of any unbalance not fully counterbalanced by said weight.

6. A textile spindle adapted to rotate a package of yarn at high speed comprising a spindle blade, a spindle step, spaced bearings in said step supporting said blade for rotation, ahollow whorl mounted on said blade, and a plurality of movable washers located in said whorl, said blade, whorl, movable washers and a package of yarn carried by said blade comprising a rotating system, the portion of said blade located between said bearings being exible to reduce the critical speed of said rotating system, said movable washers being adapted to shift after said rotating system passes through its critical speed to counterbalance any out-of-balance present in the package of yarnrotated by said blade, said tiexible portion also being adapted to flex under the influence of any unbalance not fully counterbalanced by said washers.

7. A textile spindle adapted to rotate a package of yarn at high speed comprising a spindle blade, a spindle step, spaced bearings in said step supporting said blade for rotation, a whorl mounted on said blade, a hollow ange on said whorl, and a4 pluralty of movable washers located in said hollow flange, said blade, whorl, movable washers and a package of yarn carried by said blade comprising a rotating system, the portion of said blade located between said bearings being exible to reduce the critical speed of said rotating system, said movable washers being adapted to shift after said rotating system passesvthrough its critical speed to counterbalance any out-of-balance present in the package of yarn rotated by said blade, said exible portion also being adapted to ex under the influence of any unbalance not fully counterbalanced by said washers.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 476,979 Cairns June 14, 1892 525,468 Northrop Sept. 4, 1894 2,25l,390 Beede Aug. 5, 1941 2,510,292 Pierce, Jr June 6, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 241,060 Switzerland June 17, 1946 

